Indication apparatus for railway-traffic-controlling apparatus.



I. E. SAUNDERS. INDICATION APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. i911- Pntentedi Feb. 26, 1918.. I

INVENTOR WITNESSES entrain snares ra rnn r onrien.

JOHN E. SAUNDERS, OF EDGEWOOD BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, 01? Sl/VISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A COB- ]?QRATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

INDICATION APIARATUS FOB, RAILWAY-TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lteb. 26, time,

Application filed July 12, 1917. Serial No. 180,081.

controlling apparatus, and particularly to indication apparatus for railway signals.

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatical view showing a railway track, two signals, controlling means for said signals,

' and one form of indication apparatus for said signals embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference character T designates a stretch of railway track, from which traffic may be diverted by a switch A. For governing traffic in either direction on the main track through the switch A, I provide two signals S and S, which are located upon opposite sides of the switch, as shown. These signals S and S are, as here shown, of the semaphore type, each being capable of giving two indications, viz., stop and proceed, according as the semaphore is in the horizontal or the inclined position. Each signal is biased to the stop position, and may be moved to the proceed position by virtue of current from a source 13, through the medium of a suitable signal operating mechanism which is not shown. The control circuits for the signals are shown in dot-anddash lines, todistinguish them from the circuits for the indication apparatus which latter are shown in solid lines. These signal control circuits. are governed by a circuit controlling lever C, which lever is usually one of a plurality of similar levers comprised in an interlocking machine. As

here shown, the lever C comprises a shaft 14.

which is adapted to rock and which operates a contact finger 15 for the control of the signals. In the arrangement of the control circuits here shown, one or the other of thesignals S or S is connected with the source of current B, and so is moved, to" the proceed position, according as contact finger 15 engages contact 16 or 17, that is, according as lever C is swung in one direction or the other from its middle position.

Although I have shown only two signals controlled by the lever C, it is to be understood that any number of signals may be used and controlled by the lever, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Movements of the shaft 1A are as usualcontrolled by a looking or indication device E, which, as here shown, comprises a segment l8 fixed to the shaft lay and provided with a dog 19 which coacts with a latch 20.

This latch is biased to engage with the dog, but may be raised out of the path thereof by an indication magnet M. The indication magnet M is provided with a circuit which is controlled by an electromagnetic device D responsive to reversals of current. The cir-.

cuit for the indication magnet is also controlled by a contact finger 21 operated by the lever C, such finger being adapted to engage either of a pair of segmental contacts 22 or 23 according as the lever is swung in one direction or the other from its middle position.

The electromagnetic device D, in the form here shown, is a relay comprising two contact fingers 2A and 25. Contact finger 24c is actuated by a neutral armature, that is, it is responsive to the presence or absence of current in the relay, while contact finger 25 is actuated by a polarized armature, so that M, wire 41, contact 22-21, or 23-21, wire 42130 battery B. Consequently, magnet M is energized only when relay D is energized in such direction as to close contact 25--38, and lever C is swung in one direction or the other from its middle position.

Relay D is provided with a circuit which is controlled by two pole-changing circuit controllers P and P, operated by slgnals S and S respectively. Circuit controllerP, which is directly connected to" and operated by signal S, comprises two movablecontact 'fingers'26' and 27,'while circuit controller P'i, Which is directly connected to and operatedb si nals S comprises four niovablecontactfingers 28,29, 30 and 31. These circuit controllersand the connections thereto are so arranged that whenboth signals are iii-the stop position, relay D is energized by current from battery B in such direction that the polarized contact 25-38 V is closed, and that when either signal is in the proceed position, relay D is energized in the opposite direction so that the polarized contact -49 is closed... When either or both signals occupy a position interme diate the stop and proceed positions, relay D. is disconnected from source'B so that neutral contact 24., of relay D will be open, thereby preventing energization of indication magnet M. Similarly, relay D is deenergized when both signals indicates proceedsimultaneously. This'is due to the factthat when signals S and S are in the proceed positions,'terminal37 of battery B is connected to wire 48-by contact finger 27, but contact finger 28 is disconnected from wire 44 so vthat the circuit for the relay D is disrupted. Y

L designates an incandescent lamp for giving a visual indication when signal S or 'S is in the proceed position. Lamp L forming partof an interlocking machine. The operation of the entire apparatus is.

as follows: lever C is shown in its middle position, wherein contact fingers 15 and 21 are disengaged from their respective cooperating fixed contact members. Consequently,s ignals S and S both indicate stop, and the circuit for indication magnet M isopen. "RelayDis now energ zed by current flowing from battery B through wire 32,

- contact finger. 26, wire 33, contact finger 31,

- that such signal moves to the wire 34, relay 1), wire 35, Contact finger 29, wire36, contact finger 27, and wire 37 back to 'source .B. The current thus flowing in relay D is in such direction that contact '25T38 is closed 'and contact 2549 is open.

, When it is desiredto move signal S to the proceed posit1on,lever C is swung to the left, whereupon contact 15 17 is closed,

thereby closingthe circuit for signal S so proceed posi- Q l :.Th@ circ it o i n l S i thp tt traced in detail.

be obvious; therefore the same will not be Simultaneously with the movement of signal S to the proceed position, circuit controller P is moved to the position shown in dotted lines, thereby completing the following circuit: from battery B through wire 32, contact finger 26, wire 33, contact finger 31, wires l3 and 35, relay D, wires 34, 4A and do, contact finger 29, wire 36, contact finger 27, and wire 37, back to battery B. Relay D is now energized in such direction that contact 25--3S is opened,

thus disrupting tle circuit for indication magnet M so that the latter is deencrgizcd, causing latch 20 to drop to its biased position-beyond the end of dog 19 and so locking the lever in substantially its full stroke position. Contact 254-9 is now closed, thus completing the circuit for lamp L which then gives a visual indication that one of the signals is in. the proceed position. A slight movement of the lever C toward middle position is permitted, however, to allow the contact finger 15 to disengage from contact 17, thereby disrupting the circuit. for

signal S and so causing this signal to rcturn to its stop position. Circuit controller P is thus returned to the position in which it is shown in solid lines, so that relay D is again energized in such direction that contact 2538 is closed, and contact 2549 is opened, thereby energizing indication magnet M, causing latch 20 to be lifted out of engagement with dog 19, thus' permitting lever C to be fully returned to the middle position. When the lever is returned to the latter position, magnet M is dcenergized because of its circuit being disrupted by the opening of contacts 2122.

The operation of the apparatus when moving signal S from stop to proceed positions and vice versa is identical to that just described for signal S, except that lever C is rotated tothe right from its middle position. Contacts 16 and 23 now perform the same functionsas contacts 17 and 22. lVhcn signal S is in the proceed position relay D is energized by the following circuit: from battery B, through wire 32, Contact finger 26, wire 4:6, contact finger 30, wires 47 and 35, relay D, wires 3 1- and 44, contact finger 28, wire 48, contact finger 27, and wire 37 back to battery B. Relay D is then energized in such direction that contact 2538 is open and contact 25-419 is closed.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the pole-changing contacts P and P and their connections are so arranged that when both signals S. and S are in stop position, relay D is energized in the proper direction to close contact 2 5-3S, but that when either signal is in the proceed position this relay is energized in the opposite direction so that contact 25 38 is' open and the indication magnet M cannot beenergized, Both sigscribed only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, two signals, an electromagnetic device responsive to reversals of current, contacts and connections controlled by said signals for energizing said devicein one direction when both signals indicate stop and in the reverse direction when either signal indicates proceed, and indication means controlled by said electromagnetic device. I

2. In combination, a plurality of signals, an electromagnetic device responsive to reversals of current, contacts and connections controlled by said signals for energizing said device in one direction when all'ofsaid signals indicate stop, in the reverse direction when any one signal indicates proceed, and for deenergizing said device when any two or more signals indicate proceed simultaneously, and indication means controlled by said electromagnetic device.

8. In combination, two signals each biased to stop position, a controlling lever havinga middle position and capable of movement in opposite directions therefrom, means COD. trolled by said lever for moving one signal or the other to the proceed position according as said lever is moved in one direction or the other from said middle position, electromagnetic means responsive to reversals of current, contacts and connections controlled by said signals for energizing said electromagnetic means in one direction when both signals indicate stop and in the reverse direction when either signal indicates proceed, and a locking device controlled by said electromagnetic means for preventing return of said lever to its middle position except when said electromagnetic means is energized in the first-mentioned direction.

t. In combination, two signals S and S, an electromagnetic device D responsive to reversals of current, a source of current, two pairs of wires 83, 36, and 46, i8 extending between said signals, contacts controlled by one of said signals for connecting the terminals of said source with wires 33 and 36, or with wires 46 and 48 according as the sig nal indicates stop or proceed, contacts controlled by the other signal for reversibly connecting the electromagnetic device D with wires 33 and 36 according as the signal indicates stop or proceed and for connecting said device D with the wires 46 and 48 when the signal indicates stop, said connections being so arranged that the device D is energized in one direction when both signals indicate stop and in the other direction when either signal indicates proceed, and indication means controlled by said device D.

5. In combination, two signals, an electromagnetic device responsive to reversals of current, contacts and connections controlled by said signals for energizing said device in one direction when both signals indicate stop and in the reverse direction when either signal indicates proceed, and means controlled by said device when energized in the lastmentioned direction for indicating that one of said signals indicates proceed.

6. In combination, two signals, a controlling lever for said signals, an electromagnetic device responsive to reversals of current, contacts and connections controlled by said signals for energizing said device in one direction when both signals indicate stop and in the reverse direction when either signal indicates proceed, locking means for said lever controlled by said device and rendered effective to release the lever when the device is energized in the first-mentioned direction, and means controlled by said device when energized in the other or reverse direction for indicating that one of said signals indi cates proceed.

7 In combination, two signals, a control ling lever for said signals, an electromagnetic device responsive to reversals of current, contacts and connections controlled by said signals for energizing said device in one direction when both signals indicate stop and in the reverse direction when either signal indicates proceed, and locking means for said lever controlled by said device and rendered effective to release the lever when the device is energized in the first-mentioned direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. SAUNDERS.

Witnesses:

V A. HERMAN WEGNEB, MARY A. KENNEDY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot watentii,

Washington, I). (3. 

